On Friday, the Ministry of Education and Youth (MoEY) ordered the closure of schools, a move it says is to prioritize the safety of all students and staff. Jamaica continues to be affected by significant rainfall associated with the passage of a weather system over the island.
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In a statement, the Ministry of Education and Youth noted that flooding is expected and that "this may compromise the safety of our key stakeholders as they travel to school and back home."
It also advised schools to activate the Education in Emergency Plan to support the continuity of learning and the students being actively engaged.
“This will require schools to transition to the remote/online modality for teaching and learning activities for the day. Students without access to the internet or a computer/tablet must be given assigned tasks in their workbooks/textbooks as per their timetable, etc to minimise the disruptions in their learning plan,” the MoEY said.
Furthermore, school administrators were asked to initiate all communication channels within their institution to ensure that parents/guardians can be informed promptly and can make necessary arrangements for their child/ward.
According to the MoEY, for schools designated as a shelter, administrators must contact the shelter managers to coordinate access and manage shelter activities in case the need arises.
The ministry also said that, in the event that the conditions worsen and schools are mobilised as shelters, provisions must be made to secure critical resources while providing access to bathroom facilities and other areas to safely house persons who may be displaced.
The MoEY will continue to monitor reports from the Meteorological Service and the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) and update stakeholders accordingly; the Meteorological Service on Thursday afternoon issued a tropical storm watch for the island.